Conservative Strawmen

There are a couple of strawmen arguments used by conservatives on a regular basis that I think we should clear up.

With the current mess in Indiana and Arkansas (Texas already has its version) of discrimination bills, maybe this is a good time to note that

Religion is not barred from the public sphere.
As long as Americans apply their religious values in their voting choices and policy matters, religion can never be banished from the marketplace of ideas that is the public sphere. (Even if the political sphere often seems devoid of ideas.)

Government is inefficient in everything.
Governments don’t have construction crews. The closest I can think of is the Army Corps of Engineers, and they don’t go around building all our roads. Those are private companies given government contracts. Blame private corporations for bilking taxpayers on necessary infrastructure construction.